Berkeley Food Pantry Newsletter
October 2025
Berkeley Food Pantry Volunteer Survey
Due Date: Wednesday, November 5
The Berkeley Food Network is eager to get to know Pantry volunteers better. They are conducting a volunteer survey to provide volunteers an opportunity to highlight our current experiences and recommend ways for improving food security in the Berkeley area. The results of this survey will inform how BFN will transition to a unified management structure for our previously separate organizations.
To complete the survey, use this link.
SAVE THE DATE for the Next All BFP Volunteer Meeting with BFN Leadership
Monday, November 17th at 5 PM in the Berkeley Friends Church Community Room
As most of you know, the BFP will cease operations as of December 31, 2025. BFP is merging with the Berkeley Food Network effective January 1, 2026. To help ensure a smooth transition and to facilitate volunteer engagement, the Volunteer Advisory Committee is sponsoring a second All Volunteer Meeting with BFN leadership to talk through specific plans for how the merged organizations will operate. Andrew Crispin, Executive Director of the BFN, and Perry Hall, Volunteer Manager, will provide an update on the merger process, talk about the BFN’s Three-Year Strategic Plan, and go through the volunteer app used by the BFN. The results of the volunteer survey will also inform this meeting, so please be sure to complete the survey (see above article)! Please RSVP to Debbie Potter at debbiepotter@comcast.net if you plan on attending.
SAVE THE DATE for the Berkeley Food Pantry Volunteer End-of-Year/Staff Appreciation Party
Sunday, December 7, at 4 PM
For a second year running, the Volunteer Advisory Committee is hosting an end-of-the-year holiday party. Marice Ashe, VAC member, has graciously offered her home for the gathering. In addition to coming together to celebrate the BFP volunteers and all that we do to facilitate the work of the Pantry, we will also be celebrating BFP staff. There will be an opportunity to show our appreciation for the work they do to make the Pantry an amazing place to volunteer and to help feed our neighbors. Because the Pantry will cease operations on December 31, 2025, this is a great time to show up, enjoy some delicious food and drink, and say thanks to staff. The VAC has established a Go Fund Me account, if volunteers would like to show their appreciation of staff with a financial contribution. Please email Debbie Potter at debbiepotter@comcast.net to get the link.
The End-of-Year/Staff Appreciation party is a potluck event. To RSVP and sign up for a dish, please email Debbie Potter at debbiepotter@comcast.net. We look forward to seeing you there!
Food Distribution: Where the Rubber Meets the Road…
In previous newsletters, we learned about various volunteer activities at the Pantry. Today, we’ll explore where all the food that volunteers pick up, sort, and place into bags winds up. Yes…that means we’ll dive into what happens Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2-4pm in our parking lot.
Before the first client signs in at 2pm, there is a beehive of activity. Pallets are positioned to serve as platforms to keep food off the ground. Bags brimming with produce, staples like beans, rice, canned tomatoes, etc., and cold items such as meat, cheese, and eggs are placed atop these pallets. While all of this is happening, clients congregate in anticipation of the 2pm opening.
In the twenty minutes before "Show Time", volunteers gather in an all-hands-on-deck frenzy of activity. Tables are set-up for client check-in and to help with food distribution. Awnings are erected to shade the volunteers and the food. Bread racks are wheeled to the distribution area and milk donations are organized on tables. If we have flowers or dog and cat food, they are arranged for self-service selection. Ten pull carts are loaded with four bags of food each. Two staff or volunteers begin check-in at 2 PM sharp. The next hour is always the busiest and the pace can be nonstop!
The food distribution time is reminiscent of a summer thunderstorm in the mountains with lots of buildup, a brief period of intense activity, and then a peaceful quiet when it’s over. If you’re free some afternoon, come and witness this well-oiled machine for yourself - you’ll be impressed!
Volunteer Spotlight
Robin Franklin has spent her Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons at the Pantry for the last two years. She considers herself a “Jill-of-All-Trades” since she’ll do whatever needs to be done. On any given day you’ll find her breaking down boxes, putting up awnings, making extra cold food bags, and cleaning up as things wind down. Volunteering at the Pantry makes her feel good inside since she likes to be helpful. Being appreciated by Alex, Chris, Max, and many volunteers keeps Robin coming back. Robin’s goal as a volunteer is to make their jobs a little easier.
Another Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon volunteer is Guillermo Barron. He’s been giving his time to the Pantry for the past five months. While he is willing to do any task, his main focus is loading the four bags of food onto empty carts. He became interested in volunteering after driving a friend to another pantry to pick up food. When he saw the number of people in line, he realized the need was great and decided to pitch in at the Pantry (which he heard about while volunteering at the Berkeley Food Network). Guillermo enjoys giving back to the community.
Finally, we recognize Andalib Alhaj who works behind the scenes during the distribution hours to pinch-hit on whatever is needed: bagging bagels, scouring the donations to create more produce bags if possible, and anything else needed to meet the moment. She finds that volunteering strengthens her health and well-being, “not only am I helping the community, but I also feel uplifted by my involvement.” She gives big shout-outs to Alex, Chris, and Max who “are extremely supportive and make us feel like family. They always have a smile on their faces and are very happy to be helping all the time. They have a very positive and pleasant impact on the community and I can’t imagine this place without them.”
Crowded and Standing Room Only!
It was noisy, crowded and standing room only at the lively mixer the Berkeley Food Network hosted for Berkeley Food Pantry volunteers to get to know BFN operations and volunteers on September 8th. The mixer was billed as an “evening of community, connection, and celebration” and every goal was met. More than half of the 60+ attendees came from the BFP, and we enjoyed meeting our BFN peers and the opportunity for an initial orientation.
After food, wine and icebreakers, we toured the BFN facility with highlights on the member/client experience, the array of volunteer opportunities available, and the nuts and bolts of food recovery, assembly and distribution at the BFN facility. Did you know that BFN offers mobile food distribution sites at schools, senior and community centers each month, and home deliveries in addition to the distribution from the 9th St. warehouse? That’s more than 75 hours of direct food distribution services available to the community each month! We anticipate that the merged organizations will do even more in the coming year.
By the Numbers
We continue to see very high numbers of households that need assistance putting food on the
table. Here are our numbers for the past three months:
July: 134 households per day / 309 total people in households
August: 125 households per day / 278 total people in households
September: 129 households per day / 289 total people in households
Your help getting food to these folks is greatly appreciated!
Closing Thanks from the Volunteer Advisory Committee
We have been publishing a volunteer newsletter for just over a year. Our goal was to enrich the BFP volunteer experience with stepped-up communications and news you could use. We have filled newsletters with information about volunteer trainings, how to engage in advocacy work around hunger, articles about all the volunteer functions (see article about the food distribution shift in this newsletter), donating to the Pantry, and more. Long-time volunteers George Baranowski and Debbie Potter have been instrumental in publishing the newsletter, writing and editing articles from the beginning. A big shout-out to Max Crowther for turning our articles into a beautifully formatted newsletter and distributing it to all of you.
We look forward to seeing all of you at the November 17 All Volunteer Meeting to receive an update on the merger process by BFN leadership and at the December 7 volunteer end-of-year/staff appreciation party.
BERKELEY FOOD PANTRY
1600 Sacramento Street
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 525-2280
Newsletter produced by George Baranowski, Max Crowther, and Debbie Potter
October 2025